Reverting back couch-bed



Jan. 25, 1955 A. c; ABAJIAN REVERTING BACK coUcH-BED Filed Aug. 5, 1952United States Patent() REVERTING BACK COUCH-BED Aram Christian Abajian,New York, N. Y.

Application August 5, 1952, Serial No. 302,659

Claims. (Cl. 538) This invention relates to convertible couch-beds, andhas for its object the production of simple, effective, inexpensive, andattractive means for supporting springs and/or mattresses in positionswhich will afford a maximum of comfort both when in the form of a couchand in the form of a bed, and which may be converted in either sensewith a minimum of effort.

With the foregoing and other considerations in view, the inventioncontemplates the provision of front supporting frame means and rearsupporting frame means which are in the form of triangles or truncatedtriangles, which have equal maximum transverse extents. The rear framemeans carries leg means having an equal effective extent; and the framemeans are hinged at the line of intersection of the planes (when thedevice is in the form of a couch) in which their upper portions lie.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessingthe features, properties, and the relation of elements which will beexemplilied in the article hereinafter described and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end view of a couch-bed embodying the invention when incouch position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof when in bed position;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the couch-bed when in bed position, certain ofthe parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view; and

Fig. 5 is another perspective detail view.

In the exemplified construction, the couch-bed comprises a plurality offront supporting frame means 5, each of which in the present instance isformed from a plurality of bars joined in the form of truncatedtriangles each having a base 7, an upper portion 8, a front connector 9,and rear connectors 10. The portion 8 is sloped rearwardly anddownwardly so that the upper plane thereof converges toward the lowerplane of the portion 7. The frame means 5 are interconnected by alongitudinal plate 11 in the present instance to complete the frame,altho it will be appreciated that the same may be connectedlongitudinally in any of a wide variety of desired manners. Thecouch-bed also comprises a plurality of rear supporting frame means 15formed in the present instance by a series of bars, each bent into theform of a triangle to provide a substantially vertical rear portion 17,an upper portion 18 sloped rearwardly, and a base portion 19. The framemeans 15 are connected longitudinally by a plate 21.

The front supporting frame means and the rear supporting frame means areso arranged that they may be freely swung between couch-supporting andbed-supporting position. In the present instance, the plates 11 and 21are joined longitudinally by hinge means 22 which may be in the form ofone or more sections of piano hinge. The bars 17, 18, and 19 of eachrear frame means are wider than the bars of the front frame means andthe bars 18 and 19 are bifurcated by slots 24, 25 wide enough to receivethe rearmost portion of one of the frame means 5. Thus, in the couchposition shown in Fig. l, the bar 10 will be located in the slot 24 andmay be substantially ush with the bar 18, whereas in bed 2,700,164Patented Jan. 25, 1955 ice position shown in Fig. 2. there will beappreciable overlap between the front frames 5 and rear frames 15.

At the upper ends of the rear supporting means 15 there are mounted legmeans 26 adapted to support the rear of the device when in the form of abed. In the present instance these legs are pivotally mounted on theframes 15 so that they can be moved out to protrude downwardly when thedevice is in the position of Fig. 2 and can be folded in, out of theway, when the device is in the position of Fig. l; the frame bars 17 and18 having slots 27 and 28 for this purpose. As will be seen from Fig. 1,when the device is in the form of a couch, it is supported on theportions 7 and 19. As will be seen from Fig. 2, when the device is inthe form of a bed, it is supported on the corners where the portions 7and 9 meet, the corners where the portions 17 and 19 meet, and thebottom of the legs 26.

It will be observed that, as indicated in Fig. 2, by the equidistantdouble arrows 30, 31, and 32, the maximum transverse extent of the frontsupporting means 5, the maximum transverse extent of the rear supportingmeans 15, and the effective extent of each leg 26 (e. g. the distancefrom the base of the leg to the top of the portion 18) are all equal, soas to provide a perfectly horizontal support when the device is in theform of a bed. On the other hand, when the device is in the form of acouch the inclined portions 8 and 18 provide for the maximum in sittingcomfort. Spring-and-mattress cushions 34 and 35 are provided in thepresent instance to form .a comfortable sitting or sleeping arrangement.The exemplified construction permits the cushionsto extend over thesides of the frame in the manner shown in Fig. 3 when the device is inthe form of a bed. Hand holes 36 are provided near the top edge of plate21 for ready conversion from one position to the other of the couch-bed.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and differentembodiments of the invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

1 claim:

l. in or for a convertible couch-bed, front frame means comprising anupper element providing forward and rearward points of support in anupper horizontal plane when the device is in the form of a bed and beinginclined rearwardly and downwardly when the device is in the form of acouch, a lower element immovably connected to said upper element andbeing inclined rearwardly and upwardly and providing a base support at aforward point when the device is in the form of a bed and lying in alower horizontal plane and providing a base support at forward andrearward points when the device is in the form of a couch; rear framemeans comprising an upper element providing forward and rearward pointsof support in said upper horizontal plane when the device is in the formof a bed and providing an upwardly and rearwardly sloping back when thedevice is in the form of a couch, an element immovably connectedtherewith extending downwardly therefrom when the device is in the formof a bed and terminating at a distance measured perpendicularly to saidupper plane which is equal to the maximum distance between thefirstmentioned upper element and said lower element and extendingrearwardly to form a base for said rear frame means when the device isin the form of a couch, said maximum distance being measured onperpendiculars to said upper plane extending thru said first-mentionedforward point; and means hingedly connecting said upper elements atpoints substantially in said upper plane rearward of the last-mentionedperpendiculars when the device is in the form of a bed and connectingsaid front frame means with said rear frame means at the rear of atleast one point on said second-mentioned upper element when the deviceis in the form of a couch.

2. A couch-bed as set forth in claim l wherein said hinge is at the rearof the last-mentioned immovablyconnected element when in bed position.

3. A couch-bed as set forth in claim 2 wherein said frame means providea set of at least three major points of support from front to rear whenthe device is in the form of a bed and a set of at least three majorpoints of support-from front VVtorear when the device -is intheform of acouch, and wherein such frame means are provided at at least twolongitudinally spaced positions.

4. A couch-bed as set .forth :in claim 3 wherein fthe rearmost of thepoints of support ofthe first-.mentioned sets are provided lby hingedlegs.

5. A couch-bedas set forth in claim l .whereina supporting sheet for therear of the .couch-bed is provided, and wherein handle openings areprovided therein.

6. A device as set forth in claim yl wherein front and rear mattressmeans are provided.

7. A convertible couch-bed .as set forth in claim l, wherein .there are.provided cushions extending beyond corresponding portions of zthe.frame when in bed position.

8. In a convertible vcouch-bed, rigid front supporting frame meanscomprising .upper lateral frame elements extending in va plane slopingdownwardly and rearwardly when the device is inthe form -of .a-couch andAhorizontally when the device lis in the form -of a bed Yand lower llateral frame elements extending lbelow said Yupper frame elements andlying in a horizontal plane when the device is in the form of a `couchand extending upwardly and Vrearwardly when the device is in the 'formofa bed,

longitudinal frame elements, .and transverse frame `elements; rigid rearAsupporting frame means comprising lateral frame elements extendingdownwardly and forwardly when the device is in the form of a-couch andhorizontally when `the device is in Vthe form of a zbed, lateral frameelements running generally beneath vthe last mentioned lateral frameelements when the latter are lin horizontal position, and forming `anacute angle therewith and extending more directly downwardly when theconverging -upper land lower arms rigidly connected by a front arm whichextends substantially vertically, hinge means carried by said upper arm,means connecting said front supports, a plurality of rear -supports eachcomprising an arm mounted by one of said hinge means, an arm rigidlysecured thereto :andextending generally transversely therefrom, and anarm rigidly secured to the transversely extending arm and convergingtoward the hingedly connected arm, and leg means hinged to one of thelast-mentioned converging `arms at a point vspaced from the1lirst-rnentioned lhinge means.

l0. A device as set forth .infclaim 9 lwherein at least a portion ofsaid ifront supports is staggered with respect .to said rear supports.

References Cited in )the le of this patent .UNIIED STATES `PA'IlNTS2,200,647 Vanderploeg May 14, 1940 2,562,197 Martin July 3l, 1951`FOREIGN PATENTS 469,200 Great Britain July 21, 1937

